CRPE does legal advocacy differently.
From the beginning, CRPE has operated with the unique understanding that legal advocacy needs to be community based to be successful. CRPE’s founder, Luke Cole, wanted to move away from the top-down approach of lawyering to the idea that lawyers should be “on tap, not on top.” This remains the key principle of our work. We represent the needs of our communities and work directly with them to achieve their goals. We strongly believe that “communities speak for themselves,” and our legal work follows this model.
Current Cases
Romo v. Brown
Rodrigo Romo sued the Governor of California Jerry Brown and the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources under California Government Code section 11135.
Committee for a Better Arvin, et al. v. County of Kern
Sued Kern County for passing an ordinance that allowed the County to fast track permits for oil and gas.
Delano Guardians v. City of Delano
Delano imposed a 75 percent utility rate increase over a 5 year period.
Historic Cases
Climate Justice in Kivalina
The lawsuit alleges that the top global warming polluters in the U.S. are substantially contributing to global warming and the resulting damage to Kivalina.
